Center support for venetian blind tilt rails



w. wHALEY March 31', 1942.

CENTER SUPPORT FOR VENETIAN' BLIND TILT-RAILS Filed Sept. 21, 1940 Patented Mar. 3l, 1942 .CENTER SUPPORT FOR BLEND* TILT RAlLS.

votre@ Whaley, rhuadelnhiara., assigner to, Carey-McFall Company, Philadelphia, Pa a.

corporation o f Pennsylvania .Application-,September 21. 1.9.40, .Seriallqtl l 1. 15s-1r) 6 claims.

`This invention relates 4to center supports .for the tilt rails of wide Venetian Ablinds which are employed zto .prevent the rails fromv sagging ntemlediate the axially aligned pivots at the oppositeends thereof, under the weight of the slats suspended from the rails by .the ladder ytapes of the blinds.

In .modern blinds, the tilt lrails are constructed in a manner to fbe readily detachable from the end supports, in order that the blind may be taken down for cleaning and other purposes. However, the center `supports heretofore provided have been unsatisfactory and have been the source .of considerable yannoyance when removing the tilt rail from its supports.

`iDue -to the wide angle of oscillatory movement' The construction Iand mode of operation of structures embodied by lthe present vinvention Will vbe Jfully 4disclosed hereinafter, reference being had tothe-accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is va frontelevation of ahead rail and tilt rail assemblage employing -a center support for the Vtilt rail in accordance with 'the principles of the Vpresent invention;

Fig.. 2 irs'aftransversesecton taken on the line 2 2, `Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate the parts of the support of Fig. 1, separated, in perspective;

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate modifications of the invention.

'The head rail and tilt rail assemblage illustrated in Fig. 1 is of the same general character, except for the center support, as that shown in my prior U. S. Patent No. 2,216,678 dated October 1, 1940.

The head rail is shown at I, the tilt rail at 2, and the brackets which support the opposite ends of the tilt rail from the head rail I, are shown at 3 and 4 respectively.

"LI: e ment i2. ;bri1e,.-1.1ead l.; s ing. L3 er the Sliding .element .1,2A -Whieh is eared to-:themed rail -I. v

As shown in Fig. 6,tneelern nt I; I jccnisists of a vertical -;S.ubstar1tial1y .fsern' .a .right anale .foot ...5 apertred at -IB f for reception .af screws :121. :Thefarcuateedge .of the segmental plate ,1.14 is ,provided with afiailerally extendinelauge t8..

. 5F11@ :sliding elementslpasshown in'Eig. 5,1m Qllldfsxa-Ygrztsal :plate :I9 having ,an arcuate Ie= cess .2,9 ,from the .edge of whichtproieets aflatenallzy extending segmental tangerzl. E'he :plate t9 is .also .provided .with ,a foot 22 Walsh shears flatly 4against fthe underside .fof the head rail I and is slidably mounted in .ethe'fixed guide :member I3 which is .secured yto the .under- .ser

. Sideof the ihead railrzlfrby `screws 24.

rThe foot I'22 .of .the movable' member I2 is fprovided with 'ainger grip-215,fby whichthe member lf2 ,may .-be Yreadily moved, -jlongitudirlally of the head rail I andtilt `railf-Z, tocand lrorndzlie position shown in O wherein V'theea,rlcuavte flange -2| `of the slidable member YI2 underlies and supports the arcuate flange I8 of the fixed member II on the tilt rail 2.

As shown in Fig. 2, the flanges I8 and 22 are concentric and are formed on arcs which are swung from a point y which is coincident with the longitudinal axis .fc-:r: of the tilt rail 2 and which is coincident with the axes of the Worm segment 5 and pivot 8 at the opposite ends respectively of the tilt rail 2, whereby, as the rail by which the element IIb may be slidably se-A cured to the tilt rail 2. When using the sliding element IIb on the tilt rail 2, the cooperating member I2 carried by the head rail may be, and

2. In a device for supporting the tilt rail from the head rail of a Venetian blind, a pair of transverse members on said rails respectively, a pair of arcuate interengaging flanges on said members concentric to the pivotal axis of the tilt rail, and a guide member secured to one of said rails for slidably securing one of said members thereto for axial movement relative to the other of said members for ydisengaging said flanges.

3. In a device for supporting the tilt rail from the head rail of a Venetian blind, a pair of transpreferably is, fixed to the underside of the head rail I.

effecting relative sliding motion of one of 1 the members I I or I2 with respect to the other of said members in a direction longitudinally of the head rail I and tilt rail 2, the cooperating supporting fianges I8'and 2I will be completely disengaged one fromthe other to release the center of the tilt rail from its support on the head rail; and that -byth'en sliding the pivot 8 of the tilt rail 2' inwardly,I by use of the finger grip 9, the pivot pin 8, and consequently the adjacent end of the tilt rail 2will be completely disconnected from the end supporting bracket'4; and that by sliding the tilt rai 1'2 bodily, in a direction away from the end supporting brackets 3, the tongue 6 of the Worm segment 5 will be completely withdrawn from the slot 'I in the end of the tilt rail, whereby the tiltrail 2 Will be completely and entirelyrseparated from its end and center supports. By reversing this order, the tilt rail 2 may be readily restcred'to its normal operating position on the head rail I.

It will be understood that in cases where no head rail I is employed, the brackets 3 and 4 and the center support member I2 will be attached to the top transverse member of the window frame or other opening at which the blind is used, therefore in the appended claims the reference to the head rail is intended to include either the normal Ihead rail of the Venetian blind proper or the head or top rail of a window frame or other supports for the brackets 3 and 4 and member I2 in lieu' of the normal head rail of the blind.

I claim:

1. In a device for supporting the tilt rail from the head rail of a Venetian blind, a pair of transverse memberson said rails respectively, a pair of arcuate interengagingflanges on said members concentric to the pivotal axis of the tilt rail, and .means for attaching one of said members to its rail for'axial movement relative tothe other of said members for disengaging said flanges.

verse members on said rails respectively, a pair of arcuate interengaging fianges on said members concentric to the pivotal axis of the tilt rail, a guide member secured to one of said rails, and a foot on one of said members slidably mounted in said guide member for slidably securing one of said members thereto for axial movement relative to the other of said members for disengaging said flanges.

4. In a device for supporting the tilt rail from the head rail of a Venetian blind, a pair of transverse members on said rails respectively, a pair of arcuate interengaging flanges on said members concentric tothe pivotal axis of the tilt rail, a guide on one of saidrails, a foot on one of said members slidably mounted in said guide for axial movement relative to said rail, and a projection on said foot for manually operating said slidable member to effect engagement and disengagement of said flanges.

5. In a device for supporting the tilt rail from the head rail of a Venetian blind, a pair of transverse members carried by said rails respectively, an arcuate horizontally overhanging flange on one of said members concentric to the longitudinal axis of the tilt rail, a corresponding arcuate concentric flange and auxiliary horizontally overhangingk means spaced radially from said corresponding flange on the other of said members cooperating with the opposite arcuate faces respectively of the flange on the first said member to resist transverse deection of thev tilt rail intermediate its opposite ends.

6. In a device for supporting the tilt rail from the head rail of a Venetian blind, a pair of transverse members carried by said rails respectively, an arcuate horizontally overhanging flange on one of said members concentric to the longitudinal axis of the l tilt rail, horizontally overhanging means on the other of said members cooperating with the ilange on the rst said member to resist transverse deflection of the tilt rail intermediate its opposite ends, and means for slidably supporting one of said members for movement relative to the other of salid membersl parallel to the axis of the tilt railfor engaging and disengaging said overhanging portions of saidmembers.

` WILLIAM WHALEY. 

